Former POW to speak at Veterans Summit
Motivational speaker and former prisoner of war Jessica Lynch is the featured speaker at the virtual Hawaii State Veterans Summit, sponsored by the Hawaii Veterans Foundation, the Hawaii Office of Veterans Services and AARP Hawaii.
Lynch’s presentation at 4:30 p.m. July 27 is free and open to veterans, caregivers of veterans and their families. Register to get a Zoom link at www.hawaiiveteransfoundation.org and learn about other free webinars offered during the summit.
Lynch will speak about overcoming obstacles and how perseverance helped her survive. Her message is that a positive outlook and determination can help people overcome difficult circumstances, live fulfilling lives and accomplish their goals.
On March 23, 2003, Lynch was injured and captured by Iraqi forces after her unit was ambushed in Iraq. She was rescued after nine days in captivity on April 1, 2003, by U.S. special operations forces. Her rescue was the first successful rescue of an American POW since World War II.
Lynch’s Veterans Spotlight presentation caps the Hawaii Veterans Summit, a series of weekly webinars designed to connect veterans with service providers from the Veterans Administration, health care counselors and financial planning experts.
Final round of STIP meetings coming up
The state Department of Transportation will hold its second and final round of virtual public informational meetings for Hawaii Island on July 29 and Aug. 4 to discuss and solicit comments on the draft Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) for federal fiscal years 2022-25.
The STIP is a four-year programming implementation document that identifies State and County transportation projects, statewide, to be funded, in part, with Federal Highway and Transit funds. The STIP delineates the funding categories and the federal and local share required for each project. The Department of Transportation is responsible for the development of the STIP programs for the islands of Hawaii and Kauai, and the islands of Molokai and Lanai.
Two virtual public informational meeting are scheduled for Hawaii Island. The first is slated at 6:30 p.m. July 29 and the second at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 4.
The link to attend each meeting and meeting materials will be posted on the STIP website (https://highways.hidot.hawaii.gov/stories/s/STIP-Home/63ng-czz7/) prior to each meeting. Visit the STIP website to view the Hawaii Island FFY 2022-25 (+2) STIP program, project location maps, and survey results.
Comments are due Aug. 13 to Highway Planning Branch, 869 Punchbowl St., Room 301, Honolulu, HI 96813; or email to hwy.stip.projects@hawaii.gov; or fax to (808) 587-1787